Official name ECHOSTAR 17
Alternative name EchoStar 17
Cospar ID 2012-035A
Norad ID 38551
Launch date 2012-07-05
Launch site FRGUI
Launch vehicle Ariane-5ECA
Country/Organization USA
Type application Communication
Operator EchoStar, Hughes Network Systems
RCS size LARGE
Decay date ON ORBIT
Period (min) 1436.11
Inclination (deg) 0.02
Perigee (km) 35778
Apogee (km) 35795
Eccentricity 0.000237519735095637
Mean motion (revs. per day) 1.00270870615761
Semi-Major axis (km) 42164.635
Raan (deg) 358.7426
Arg of perigee (deg) 87.2309
Shape Box + 2 Pan
Mass (kg) 6100
Height (m) 8
Width (m) 3.1
Depth (m) 3.1
Span (m^2) 26.1
Lifetime 15 years
Contractors Space Systems/Loral (SS/L)
Equipment bent-pipe multi-spot beam high-throughput Ka-band payload
Propulsion ?, 4 × SPT-100 plasma thrusters
Configuration SSL-1300
Power 2 deployable solar arrays, batteries

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) announced in June 2009 that it will launch a next-generation, high throughput satellite called Jupiter 1 in the first quarter 2012 to expand its rapidly growing HughesNet broadband Internet service across North America. Designed to deliver over 100 Gbps throughput, the new Hughes satellite will utilize an enhanced version of the IPoS standard, the world's leading broadband satellite standard approved by ETSI, TIA and ITU.

Employing a multi-spot beam, bent pipe Ka-band architecture, the new geostationary satellite will provide significant additional capacity for HughesNet service in North America. Its capabilities will augment the successful Spaceway 3 satellite system, the world's first with on-board switching and routing, which Hughes put into commercial service in April, 2008. Space Systems/Loral has been selected to manufacture the new Hughes satellite, based on its SSL-1300 platform, which has the proven flexibility for a broad range of applications and is expected to provide service for 15 years or more.

EchoStar acquired Hughes Network Systems for $1.3 billion in February 2011 and the satellite was renamed EchoStar 17.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
ECHOSTAR 17 2012-035A 2012-07-05 FRGUI Ariane-5ECA with MSG 3